METAL/NONMETAL MINE FATALITY - On September 18, 2013, a 56-year old front-end loader operator with 16 years of experience was killed at a crushed stone operation. The victim was attempting to remove a rock from a pug mill hopper when he was engulfed by the material in the hopper.

Best Practices

Establish and discuss policies and procedures for safely clearing a hopper.

Equip hoppers with mechanical devices or other effective means of handling material so persons are not required to work where they are exposed to entrapment by sliding material.

Install a heavy screen (grizzly) to control the size of material and prevent clogging.

Task train persons to recognize all potential hazardous conditions and to understand safe job procedures for elimination of the hazards before beginning work.

Before working on or near equipment, ensure that the discharge operating controls are deenergized and locked out.

Wear a safety harness and lanyard, which is securely anchored and tended by another person, prior to entering bins, hoppers, tanks, or silos.

Submit your own suggestion for a remedy to prevent this type of accident in the future. Please specify if you wish your submission to be anonymous or whether your name may be used. Please include the year of the fatality and the fatality number.

This is the 12th fatality reported in calendar year 2013 in metal and nonmetal mining. As of this date in 2012, there were 12 fatalities reported in metal and nonmetal mining. This is the 2nd Falling/Sliding fatality in 2013. There were 2 Falling/Sliding fatalities in the same period in 2012.

The information provided in this notice is based on preliminary data ONLY and does not represent final determinations regarding the nature of the incident or conclusions regarding the cause of the fatality.